Drenai -> d20/OGL starting point?

[grufflehead]

A while back a user called Lorath was asking for advice about running an IH Gemmell game but the thread seems to have died so I don't know how (s)he got on with it.

I've had a hankering to do Gemmell for years, and originally was going to use the HERO system. I probably never got it off the ground as hardly anybody I knew was familiar with it, nor the Gemmell books so most of the 'point' of it would have been lost on them.

I don't have all of the sourcebooks you mentioned but I have got IH (although haven't as yet managed to get a chance to play it). From my reading of it, it did seem to suit the style of the books with a minimum of extra work, being essentially low magic with a high emphasis on combat. As others have said, the classes are a good fit as are the extended feat chains and skill sets, and although the one spellcasting class is not the best it does work well for NPCs (and the villain classes are nice too).

If you are up to speed with all of the material (3 e-books for about $25 is pretty reasonable) then modelling things like Joinings, the Vire, demon summoning sorcerors should be achievable. Although my impression from the main book is that magic items were to be totally done away with, things like the Sipstrassi stones (not strictly Drenai I know) would be easy to fit in - in fact a little limited use buffing that allows the PCs' weapons to affect demons and other supernatural creatures seems like an highly desirable add-on.

Now of course you've got me wondering what classes the majority of the main named characters would be Druss? A Mighty Build Berserker with Cleave Mastery? Waylander? An Executioner? Chareos - Weapon Master, Finn and Maggrig - Archers, Mannanan (KoDR) might be Hunter/Armiger/Man at Arms, Tenaka Khan maybe Executioner/Hunter.

I'd like to hear how you get on with it (on or off list). I've got limited access to a PC but I'd be delighted to bounce any ideas around if you plump for IH in the end.

 

[Aus_Snow]

grufflehead, I'll keep you posted. I have 3 definite and enthusiastic players ready to go with the whole thing so far. Just need maybe 1 or 2 more, which won't be hard I don't think. I'll just have to rush through reading and rereading IH fully, and get some other house rules, mods, and most importantly campaign concepts etc. sorted. Hopefully before they get impatient about it!

Also, let me know if you have any other thoughts about the idea in general, or statting the main characters specifically. And I'll do th same.

 

[grufflehead]

grufflehead, I'll keep you posted. I have 3 definite and enthusiastic players ready to go with the whole thing so far.

Just as a matter on interest, how familiar with the novels are your players? Read none/some/most/all of the Drenai stuff and how much difference do you think this makes?

Also, let me know if you have any other thoughts about the idea in general, or statting the main characters specifically. And I'll do th same.

Oh I love the idea in general - I suspect you're not quite in travelling distance for me though, or I'd be asking for an invite If I had better PC access I'd offer to chip in with stuff - well, I'd be delighted to do it anyway, but as I've only got access to the web at work just now, if you had a burning question it might not get answered for a day or so :\

From my reading of IH I imagine you could get away with less players than a 'standard' game as the characters are a bit more 'powerful'. This would seem to be inkeeping with the way the books are written (where the number of main characters - what I would consider to be 'PCs', if only because they tend to survive - is generally low, but there are often several supporting cast members). However, there's a thread somewhere I've been reading about taking four IH characters into an encounter in Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil and getting their butts kicked when 4 'standard' D&D PCs breeze through it - I think this was designed to show that the presence, or more accurately the lack, of magic in IH can have a major effect on encounters so things might get interesting the first time a Nadir shaman turns up....

Are you writing your own adventures (as opposed to adapting pre-written stuff which is generally what I do)? If so do you have a time period in mind, a geographic area (have you got a 'campaign map?), and will any 'named characters' feature at any stage? There are various Gemmell fan-sites that I used to browse occasionally that have tried to put together time-lines and maps - from what I recall one of the great debates about the Drenai books were that, as DG never put maps at the start, there were a couple of conflicts that arose about locations in different books.

Have you been over to the IH forums? There's a small but very active community who have put together some really good stuff on developing the game already. There seems to be a suggestion that further development by Malhavoc is likely to be sketchy at best due to the main designer having left and Monte Cook having gone on record as saying it's not really his sort of game.

 

[Aus_Snow]

No, no maps at this stage. That could be a problem, so I'm in the process of tracking one or more down at the moment.

I'm thinking I won't follow the story arcs as written, or even closely at all - partly because 2 of the 3 definite players (so far) are quite familiar with at least some of Gemmell's books. 'Named characters' might feature. Probably only one or two though, if so.

I'll have to check out the. . . is it 2 IH adventures released so far? That would also make life easier, if one or more is suitable, with only a bit of 'flavour' modification. Conan adventures could be 'bent' that way too, possibly (only more so). Hm, maybe some other types even. . .

I do prefer to write my own adventures, but recently I've been caught between running three campaigns, playing in half a dozen of various systems and styles, working. . . etc., etc. So time's been a bit short. Hence, the allure of the prewritten.

And the IH forums are something else I haven't checked out. Good idea though. I just might. Cheers.

 

[Akrasia]

I'd recommend True20. The magic system, in particular, looks appropriate for the Thirty and similar adepts (though you would likely to have to cut out a number of powers -- i.e. trim the list). Also, the role of 'conviction' looks great for a Drenai game.

 

[Aus_Snow]

That does it. I must get True20 (i've been meaning to for ages anyway). I only wish it was in print already. Ah well.

 

[grufflehead]

No, no maps at this stage. That could be a problem, so I'm in the process of tracking one or more down at the moment.

You may have already been to these but for others interested, here are a couple of sites about Gemmell's world(s):

http://www.drenai.com
http://www.dodgenet.com/~moonblossom/legendof.htm (check out the 'Atlas' section in particular which has one interpretation of what the world might look like)

I used to have more but I'm now subject to a webfilter at work, so I can't verify if the others are still active :\

I'm thinking I won't follow the story arcs as written, or even closely at all - partly because 2 of the 3 definite players (so far) are quite familiar with at least some of Gemmell's books. 'Named characters' might feature. Probably only one or two though, if so.

One of my great bugbears about running adventures in popular published milieux is do you have named characters appearing and if so, what if the PCs decide to do something awkward like kill one of them?

I'll have to check out the. . . is it 2 IH adventures released so far? That would also make life easier, if one or more is suitable, with only a bit of 'flavour' modification. Conan adventures could be 'bent' that way too, possibly (only more so). Hm, maybe some other types even. . .

The first 'official' IH adventure 'Song of the Blade' got mixed reviews as AFAIR it had been written as a more generic fantasy scenario, then shoe-horned into the IH rules - that may actually work to your advantage. 'Dark Harbour' is the first one specifically written for the system and gets good reviews. I plan on getting a copy soon. I did also think about Conan scenarios, and you might like to check out a company called O0ne games - they produced a series of adventures (available on pdf from dirvethrurpg and possibly other places) called "The Legend of the Sttel General", "20 sides of Evil" and "Warriors of Dream". I don't own any but I've seen a comment somewhere that they might be very suitable for a Drenai-type game. O0ne also seem to do some nice encounter maps which are also available quite cheaply on pdf. There's a thread on the IH forums about a new adventure from Goodman games called "To Duel with Dragons" and word of another one called "Warrior Legacy".

I do prefer to write my own adventures, but recently I've been caught between running three campaigns, playing in half a dozen of various systems and styles, working. . . etc., etc. So time's been a bit short. Hence, the allure of the prewritten.

I hear you I seem to spend so much time reading odds and ends (far more than running or playing!) that I also 'lift' from pre-written stuff and adapt to suit the bigger plot I've come up with.

 

[Chairman7w]

Aus, I think you had the right idea. Why bother with a new system at all? Just use an existing system, and make a World Book, or Player Guide, or Gazateer. Throw in lots of maps, country descriptions, history, and famous characters as stat blocks. That's always sure to draw lots of attention, as people discuss how they felt so-and-so should have been more/less powerful.

Just as a thought, what's wrong with 3.5 D&D as it stands? There's plenty of magic in his books. The flavor and fluff is much more important, IMHO. And there's TONS of that in Drenai! I hope you make it. If you do, I'll buy it!

PS - What would Dakeryas be? Fighter 15/Rg 2 I'd say. S18 D18 C16 I14 C15 W14

 

[grufflehead]

I did also think about Conan scenarios, and you might like to check out a company called O0ne games - they produced a series of adventures (available on pdf from dirvethrurpg and possibly other places) called "The Legend of the Sttel General", "20 sides of Evil" and "Warriors of Dream". I don't own any but I've seen a comment somewhere that they might be very suitable for a Drenai-type game.

Just by way of a thread-bump, I went ahead and picked up "The Legend of the Steel General" over the weekend. All I can say is if you want a Gemmell-themed game without having to put in too much writing yourself, GET IT The PCs find themselves at the great fortress of Draman Del, a huge structure with seven walls, with a barbarian hordes mass in the east. It's pretty much "Legend" by another name, complete with the locations and many of the personalities (renamed of course)! But the adventure is quite nicely written having to take the focus from Druss and give it to a group of low level PCs, with lots to do and some nice maps/handouts. Well worth the money for me, and I'll probably go on and check out the next 2 in the series off the back of it.

 

[Chairman7w]

WOW. Now that's cool! It IS Legend!

Just by way of a thread-bump, I went ahead and picked up "The Legend of the Steel General" over the weekend. All I can say is if you want a Gemmell-themed game without having to put in too much writing yourself, GET IT The PCs find themselves at the great fortress of Draman Del, a huge structure with seven walls, with a barbarian hordes mass in the east. It's pretty much "Legend" by another name, complete with the locations and many of the personalities (renamed of course)! But the adventure is quite nicely written having to take the focus from Druss and give it to a group of low level PCs, with lots to do and some nice maps/handouts. Well worth the money for me, and I'll probably go on and check out the next 2 in the series off the back of it.